Some women think men are the problem; some men think women are the problem. Both are right: men who think they are men and women who think they are women are the problem.
And both are wrong: gender is only one way to express the problem. The problem is that, although we are all life-giving spirit, whose nature it is to love, including the enemies of conscience, some of us prefer blindness.
This resonates deeply, George. From my own spiritual journey, being raised Buddhist, educated at a Church of England school, singing Gregorian chants in a cathedral and teaching music in the Muslim U.A.E., I've personally never felt that gender affected my internal spiritual connection. Your examples of Jane and Mother Teresa made me wonder, if women were ever given the chance to become Pope, breaking tradition, would it change people's perception of spiritual authority? Or would it help reinforce the truth that spirituality and leadership truly transcend gender?
Such a plethora of rich experiences in life, Celia. These are important questions on spiritual authority and leadership. I can only say that loving the enemies of conscience is the surest way to open our eyes to what Name is doing and why.
Thank you, George. That line, loving the enemies of conscience, stopped me. It’s not easy, but maybe that’s where the real opening happens, like you said. I’m still sitting with what that means for me. Really appreciate this thoughtful exchange.
Celia, may I suggest sitting first with what your suneidesis means for you? (I'll have to send this in two responses.)
Suneidesis is a Greek word pronounced soon-eye-day-sis. It is translated either conscience or consciousness, but it is both. We just do not have a single word for it in English. But we can use the phrase co-conscientious awareness. The co- at the beginning means together. The idea of the conscience works between us, together, but always with our consciousness.
Simply put, suneidesis means that we have a conscience working between us in all of our consciousness, awareness. They cannot be separated. For example, if I understand that my awareness of something as simple as a cup includes co-conscientiousness, spiritually speaking, I do not allow myself to get blinded by the cup alone but know it as part of all creation at the hands of the Creator or the universe, depending on one’s beliefs. Now apply this to the natural awareness we have of each other.
Suneidesis in its true state is the state of enlightenment in one word. Our true state is perfect empathy for all living things, unconditional love, agape. Now consider someone who has completely lost this state of awareness, having no conscientious restraints in hating others. This person is a threat to your state of suneidesis if you do not know how to love them anyway, for if you do not, you will lose your natural state and respond blindly.
If you do know how to love them unconditionally anyway, they are not a threat but simply an enemy to your suneidesis. But by loving them, your suneidesis becomes even richer with agape, by seeing Name’s agape in their suneidesis, even though they are unable to use it.
Thank you, George. I really appreciate you taking the time to share this. It’s given me a lot to sit with, especially the idea of shared awareness and how we hold love, even in difficult spaces. It’s left me with a lot to ponder, and I’m grateful for that.
I would like to say take your time pondering, since we should always test words to determine whether they are true. But the window for you to test is much more narrow than you think, otherwise, you would be spending every second of every waking moment to test them. Are you? Of course, I am not just speaking to you.
You would be openly stating where you disagree, if you do, so that your reasoning could be examined as well as mine. But all too often, we choose to remain silent only because we want more time to stay unaware and unresponsible as we have thought we were doing without risk.
Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself. Leo Tolstoy
Some women think men are the problem; some men think women are the problem. Both are right: men who think they are men and women who think they are women are the problem.
And both are wrong: gender is only one way to express the problem. The problem is that, although we are all life-giving spirit, whose nature it is to love, including the enemies of conscience, some of us prefer blindness.
This resonates deeply, George. From my own spiritual journey, being raised Buddhist, educated at a Church of England school, singing Gregorian chants in a cathedral and teaching music in the Muslim U.A.E., I've personally never felt that gender affected my internal spiritual connection. Your examples of Jane and Mother Teresa made me wonder, if women were ever given the chance to become Pope, breaking tradition, would it change people's perception of spiritual authority? Or would it help reinforce the truth that spirituality and leadership truly transcend gender?
I wish you well, Celia.
Thank you, George. Wishing you well too.
in quiet strength and sound,
Afterforever ✨🎵
Such a plethora of rich experiences in life, Celia. These are important questions on spiritual authority and leadership. I can only say that loving the enemies of conscience is the surest way to open our eyes to what Name is doing and why.
Thank you, George. That line, loving the enemies of conscience, stopped me. It’s not easy, but maybe that’s where the real opening happens, like you said. I’m still sitting with what that means for me. Really appreciate this thoughtful exchange.
in quiet strength and sound,
Afterforever ✨🎵
Celia, may I suggest sitting first with what your suneidesis means for you? (I'll have to send this in two responses.)
Suneidesis is a Greek word pronounced soon-eye-day-sis. It is translated either conscience or consciousness, but it is both. We just do not have a single word for it in English. But we can use the phrase co-conscientious awareness. The co- at the beginning means together. The idea of the conscience works between us, together, but always with our consciousness.
Simply put, suneidesis means that we have a conscience working between us in all of our consciousness, awareness. They cannot be separated. For example, if I understand that my awareness of something as simple as a cup includes co-conscientiousness, spiritually speaking, I do not allow myself to get blinded by the cup alone but know it as part of all creation at the hands of the Creator or the universe, depending on one’s beliefs. Now apply this to the natural awareness we have of each other.
Suneidesis in its true state is the state of enlightenment in one word. Our true state is perfect empathy for all living things, unconditional love, agape. Now consider someone who has completely lost this state of awareness, having no conscientious restraints in hating others. This person is a threat to your state of suneidesis if you do not know how to love them anyway, for if you do not, you will lose your natural state and respond blindly.
If you do know how to love them unconditionally anyway, they are not a threat but simply an enemy to your suneidesis. But by loving them, your suneidesis becomes even richer with agape, by seeing Name’s agape in their suneidesis, even though they are unable to use it.
Thank you, George. I really appreciate you taking the time to share this. It’s given me a lot to sit with, especially the idea of shared awareness and how we hold love, even in difficult spaces. It’s left me with a lot to ponder, and I’m grateful for that.
in quiet strength and sound,
Afterforever ✨🎵
I would like to say take your time pondering, since we should always test words to determine whether they are true. But the window for you to test is much more narrow than you think, otherwise, you would be spending every second of every waking moment to test them. Are you? Of course, I am not just speaking to you.
You would be openly stating where you disagree, if you do, so that your reasoning could be examined as well as mine. But all too often, we choose to remain silent only because we want more time to stay unaware and unresponsible as we have thought we were doing without risk.